SIXTY YEARS , the PLATINIUM JUBILEE Of Life And JANAY KAHAN GAYE WHO DIN : “ JOKER ”

Pic- : Myself getting ready for the " PROWL" to kill the " PREY  " 
To start   with I shall begin with the line-:
" THE WIND BLOWS " STRONGEST " AGAINST HIM WHO " STANDS -THE -TALLEST "
" MY SIXTY YEARS OF LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME "NOT" TO EXPECT ANYTHING FROM ANYBODY........ 
"The GIST of my LIFE and the EXPRIENCE that I have encountered ,  that I have LEARNT in my SIXTY YEARS of LIFE and if  it is summarised, it stands  as follow-:
LIFE- :: 
"" Life DOESN'T always HELPS you to get yourself INTRODUCED to the MOST-BEAUTIFUL and GOOD people
Somethimes the LIFE puts you in the TOUCH with the PEOPLE to only " HURT " you, to LEAVE you in " LURCH " and to give you such a " PAIN " so as to " STRENGHTEN " you to     " MOULD " you into a " PERSON " that you are " MEANT " to be .......... "" 
SIXTY YEARS , the PLATINIUM JUBILEE Of Life And JANAY KAHAN GAYE WHO DIN : “ JOKER ”

To start with  let me begin with that INFAMOUS song of the film MERA NAAM JOKER and that song-:

“ JANAY KAHAN GAYE WHO DIN, KAHTAY THEEY JINKI YAAD MEI

NAZAREY PHIR MILAYENGAY,

JANAY KAHIN BHI TUM RAHO, CHHAHENGAY TUMKO UMRA BHAR,

TUMKO NAA BHOOL PAYENGAY ……. “

 This is the infamous song from the film “ MERA NAAM JOKER ”…… a BRILLIANT film that completely relates with the LIFE of any human being and so BEAUTIFULLY potrayed by Raj Kapoor in that film was a COMPLETE disaster……. Well more about that…..

 Again let me make it very clear, the PLATINIUM JUBILEE is celebrated when one reaches the 75^th year of his LIFE, but in the PARLANCE of the life where the LIFE EXPECTANCY is only 60 years of an average Indian, if he or she crosses the 60^th years of her/his life that is taken as the COMPLETION of the PLATINIUM JUBILEE as anytime after the SIXTIETH year of his/her life the RESERVATION to travel THERE begins, it is ONLY that ONE has to get that ticket……

Well yesterday for me it was the same. So many and so much of the TIME has elapsed that if ONE looks back at it and if I look back at it it seems that TIME has BRUSHED and WHIZZED past in a very manner that it is very HARD to really describe WHAT THE LIFE HAS BEEN

Pics- : The  " Grih-Pooja " moment when we shifted to our first flat at Bangalore 

 From the Chinese aggression in 1962 when I was a BABY who hardly knew knew about are the WARS, to seeing the Pakistani Sabre Jet coming at Bishrampur to BOMB the Indian draglines, which they could not do, to buying a BAG ( JHOLA) full of sweets for Diwali for Rs 10=00 during that time, to the period of EMERGENCY in 1975 to passing the Higher Secondary exams without the MOUSTACHES on , to FAILING to pass the B.Sc exams for FOUR consecutive years from 1977 -78 to 1980-81, to getting married and becoming a Father to  see TWO Flats and contributing to that for completions to LOSING my Father……. Well there are many moments which has and which had COME and WHIZZED past like anything.

From the time when I went to the School to the moment I wrote my FIRST Annual Exam to writing the BOOKS- from the time when I heard FIRST about Pele in 1966 to hearing Shankar Laxman singlehandedly performing in such a manner to win that FIRST ASIAN GAMES HOCKEY GOLD MEDAL for Indian in 1966 to listening to India winning that WORLD CUP HOCKEY title on March 15^th 1975 to Indian winning that World Cup cricket title in 1983, June 25^th according to the GMT but June 26^th according to the IST on that year, …….. to PREDICTING Dattu Phadkar in 1983 that inclusion of Yashpal Sharma and Roger Binny for the 1983 World cup could SEE India winning the World Cup…….. well there are so many incident but I would like to write about some of it which I just CANNOT forget in my life…..

A ) > When was I small and a KID…… I did NOT see myself small anytime……

These words came out of me when I was only FOUR years of age. I would RUN like a STAG during that time for everything. One fine day after dressing me and my sister, my Father told me -:

HOLD YOUR YOUNGER SISTER BY HAND TO TAKE HER TO THE PLAYGROUND AND BRING HER BACK.REMEMBER WE DID IT FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE TOO SMALL TO WALK…….

Hearing to that I replied…… WHEN WAS I EVER SMALL…. I DID NOT SEE ME SMALL AT ANYTIME LIKE A BABY

There are many instances but the ONE’S which holds true for me are written here……

A ) > When was I ever a BABY…….. I DID NOT SEE ME AS A BABY….

 It happened at the Kumbda Colliery where my Father was posted as a Assistant Engineer ( Electrical & Maintenance ) at that Colliery. Before that incident happened I was asked by my Father to f go to a house of a Junior to my Father to relay some info. When I went to his house and after doining and finishing my job, when I started coming back and came out of the gate, his pet dog suddenly jumped at me. Frightened I RAN like a STAG from that house to my house outbeating the Dog . Somehow when I reached my house and hearing me scream that way due to the fright, my father came out , drove the Dog and saved me.

 THAT WAS THE TIME I STARTED TAKING MY RUNS VERY SERIOUSLY AND PRACTISING VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN THE SPEED.  I was ALWAYS scared about the DOGS chasing me to bite me. Later when I started playing football from 1966 when I was only SEVEN that SPEED made me a good footballer and later a GOOD ATHLETE to win the Inter College Sports competition while representing Hislop College in the 800 metres, 1500 metres and the 4X400 metres relay.

 Coming back to the incident.That Dogs BARK which was a FRIGHT made my father very scary and always he would see to it that my young sister was always with me on the field He would always say me- DO NOT LEAVE HER ALONE. She is a BABE, remember you too are a BABE. Hearing to that one day I said him- WHEN WAS I. I DID NOT SEE ME ANYTIME AS A BABE SO SMALL LIKE MY SISTER IS…..Well….

When I became a FATHER on November 11^th 1995, and when I saw my daughter growing from the age of ZERO SECOND to the age of FOUR, her GROWTH made to to feel that MY  DAUGHTER MIGHT ALSO SAY ME- WHEN WAS I A BABE…… That also happened when she one day told me – WHEN WAS I A BABE . I DID NOT SEE ME AS A BABE. I had to show some of her PHOTOS where she was a BABE and on my laps. INCIDENTALLY and UNFORTUNATELY my Father did not have that kind of a photo to show it to me…

There was ONE thing that I learned from that incident. WHATEVER YOU DO TO YOUR PARENTS IT COMES BACK TO YOU IN THE SAME FASHION.

B ) >. My First Exam …..

I was admitted at the Carmel Convent School at Bishrampur during the month of Januray 1964 after a lot of persuasion to my Father from Mr Seshan who was the Colliery manager at Kumbda Colliery. The final exam was held on April 1964 . I  STILL REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW DID I PASS THE KG-II CLASS EXAM.

All I know was that I DID NOT WRITE EVEN A SINGLE LINE IN ANY OF MY PAPER still I was promoted to STANDARD ONE by the scholl authorities. The FIRST of the UNIT TEST of Standard one and the MONTHLY TEST got me a FIRST RANK. From July 1964 to April 1972 I maintained that POSITION in that school holding that rank. For SIX consecutive years I scored 100/100 in the MATHS Test in the final exam.

 ALL I KNOW WAS THAT A GIRL  “ PAPA RANI “ the daughter of the Assistant Colliery manager Mr Vishvanathan  would write my name on my answer sheet in the final exam papers and THAT were the ONLY scripts on my FINAL EXAM PAPER  when I first wrote my first Final exam papers as a student of KG-II .Papa Rani is now based at US and her ONLY younger brother Sanju Vishvanath runs his Engineering business .

C ) > I HAVE “ FAILED ”

That happened when the results of the first class annual exams were over .  Every students were handed over their final report sheet . However when I went to the Nuns who would teach us- they told me that it would be given to my father when he meets them. Why I asked , the reply given was “ YOU HAVE FAILED IN THE EXAM ”

Well I came to my house at Kumda Colliery and told my parents that –  I HAVE FAILED . There was a PALL OF GLOOM in the house. At about THREE Mr Seshan whose som Sridhar was also in that scholl with my younger sister in the same class with her, rang my Father saying that – MITHAI KHILAO JC, Babu ( my pet name ) Ist RANK LEKAR PASS HUA. That Shocked my parents. My father asked me- WHAT WAS THE RESULT. I replied- SISTER ( NUNS ) have said me that I have failed .

In the evening my father and Mr Seshan went to the School from Kumda to Bishrampur  which was about 15 Kilometres, and met the school authorities to collect my report. My report card was handed to my Father saying that the ONE’S WHO SCORE A FIRST RANK IN THE VARIOUS CALSSES, THEIR REPORT CARDS ARE HANDED TO THEIR PARENTS . The school authorities handed it then to my Father .

When he came back to the HOUSE he said me-  “ I’M SO PROUD OF YOU TO HAVE FAILED ME BY YOUR WORDS . YOU ARE A FAILURE WITH A FIRST RANK “ . I could not understand all about these RANKS till I passed out my FOURTH CLASS exams from that Schools. I just would write the papers and forget thereafter everything.My parents would always go and collect my report cards till I was in the class Fifth. Thereafter it would go by post to them when I was a Boarder in that same school. That was it.

D ) > My FIRST PLUNGE into the Bazaar To Buy the Sweets for Deepawali.

From 1963 when I was only FOUR years of age to about June 1966 we stayed at Kumbda Colliery. Thereafter I remember we travelled to Kolakatta to meet my Grand Mother ( paternal ) . That was the first occasion as a child that I saw her with my PROPER sense on.

Coming back we were shifter to Bishrampur.The Colliery Management opened our house at Kumbda and shifted all our belongings to Bishrampur. During the Deewaplai that year I was handed a Rs 10=00 currency note  and along with Dharamdas  our servant who would cook the food who was a Colliery employee my mother send me to the local Colliery Bazaar to buy sweets for the Deepawali. When I reached to the ONE who was selling the sweet at the Bazaar- he just asked me KYA DE DOON.

As a KID I was completely lost. All those sweets from Peda, Barfi, Bundi, Ladoo, Moti-Choor Ladoo ,  to many others, I DID NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THOSE SWEET. Seeing me completely lost the owner of the sweet mart asked Dharamdas- SAHAAB KA LADKA HAI KYA. He replied YES. Koi Baat Nahin said the sweet seller .He asked Dharamdas DIWALI KAY LIYE KHARIDAARI HAI KYA. He said YES.

When I came back to me house I found that the ENTIRE JHOLA ie the BAG was full of different kind and variety of sweets

 ONE FULL JHOLA OF SWEET THEN FOR “ RUPEES TEN ” TO NOTHING NOW OF RUPEES TEN , THAT IS HOW THE ECONOMIS HAS CHANGED Mr RAHUL GANDHI . THINK MANY A TIMES WHEN YOU  “ BARK ” ABOUT ECONOMICS Mr Rahul Gandhi.

E ) > My FIRST entry into the BOARDING/HOSTEL

May 1970 was the YEAR. My Father was transferred to the DUMAN-HILLS Colliery at the Chirimiri Area of Coal Mines. There was NO proper school there .Education- there was the Lahiri School but that was in Hindi. The medium of Instruction was Hindi.

July was the month and the year was 1970 . I was into my SIXTH STANDARD then. I was admitted to the BOARDING of the Carmel School . My first NIGHT alone and wthout my FAMILY members were such that on that day I completely DREAMT about my family. However from the NEXT day onward I was absolutely at my own and slowly within NO-TIME when my age was hardly ELEVEN I started spending MUCH of my time alone in the Hostel.

To kill my time I would read the ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA from the school LIBRARY and the TIMES OF INDIA. The TIMES OF INDIA since then till 1997 was an INTEGRAL PART of my LIFE lest from 1997 I stopped reading the newspaper because of all NONSENSICAL news that the papers carried.

 IT WAS THE LIFE AT HOSTEL WHICH MADE ME TO-

1 ) > CHOOSE VERY CAREFULLY everything that I needed to CHOOSE

2 ) > I LEARNED the HARD WAY to keep myself ALOOF and ALONE from the remainders.

3 ) > DO ALL MY WORK ALONE

4 ) > GIVE TOO MUCH OF IMPORTANCE TO EATING QUALITY STUFF

5 ) > NEVER TO BE AFRAID OF ANYTHING IN LIFE

My SELF-CONFIDENCE and the HABIT to TALK and WALK ALONE ALWAYS for the RIGHT and FIGHT the WRONGS started from the HOSTEL age at Bishrampur and it continues even at this age with the POINTS 1) to 5) narrated above. I HARDLY GET SHATTERED IF I LOOSE ANYTHING- BE MY FRIENDS OR ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS THE LIFE . INTERNALLY I’M AS HARD AS THE STEEL , BUT EXTERNALLY I DO NOT SHOW IT.

Pics-  ::  With my wife at the " HOTEL TAJ AB Barbeque  " at Bangalore   

F ) > I “ LEARNED ” ALL ABOUT MEASUREMENTS::

That was at  Duman Hill  Colliery. One fine day during the breakfast time I just said to my mummy- JILAPI KHAWAAR ONEK ICCHA HOCHEY .It means THE DESIRE TO EAT        “ JALEBI’S ” ARE GROWING MORE TODAY.

Hearing to that my Father gave me a FIVE RUPEE currency note and said me – JAA, ADAI SHO GRAM JILAPEE NEE AAYE GIYE, which means BRING A “ PAO ” OF JALEBI .

When I reached that shop where they would prepare the jalebis, the shopkeeper said me CHAATAK WALA VAJAN GHUM GAYA HAI. AAPKO AADHA KILO DE DETA HOON. I really was LOST to HEAR the word CHHATAK . That was something very new to me. I asked him KYA BHAAV which means what is the rate of the Jalebis he said BARAH PAISE CHHATAK which means TWELVE NAYA PAISE FOR EVERY 50 GRAMS. What was MORE- For the FIRST time in my LIFE at that place I could see the 0.10 grams and the 0.05 grams of the WEIGHT and from there I learned all my CHHATAK, and so hence and so forth,I could visualize that HOW HARD THE MINERS WERE LEADING THEIR LIFE BUYING TEN and FIVE grams of the materials for their family.

One might be STUNNED to hear that the Jalebi’s during those days were sold at CHHATAK. It was because the SALARY too was like say Rs 30=00/month for the LOADERS, Rs 50=00/momth for the category FOUR miners etc. With that amount and the kind of the salary the people would eat in terms of the CHHATAKS etc . The jalebis were sold at Rs 2=50/per kilograms.

Anyway after so much of HEAD BREAKING I brought hald a Kilograms of Jalebi for Rs 1=25 naya paise. Meats during those days were sold at Rs5=50 , naya paise per kilogram  and the eggs were sold at Rs 3=00/dozen.That was the time. Today jalebis are priced at Rs 400=00/Kilograms if you buy it from a well maintained sweet mart. That is the difference and the MUTTONS are sold for Rs 560=00/kilograms. That is HOW the days have changed.

E ) > My “ FIRST ” Hindi Cinema

The FIRST of the Hindi cinema that I saw in my life was the movie “ KAALI TOPI LAAL ROOMAL ” featuring Chandrashekar and Kumkum as the Hero and the Heroine of the Film.That film  had two song O KAALI TOPI WALAY TERA NAAM TO BATAH , O GORI GALAY WALAY TERA NAAM TOH BATAH sung by Mohammed rafi and lata Mangeshkar. There was another  a HIT one during that period in that film and it was - LAAGI CHHOOTEY NAA AB TOH SANAM, KAHAY KYA  POOCHHOH IS DIL I KASAM sung by Mohammed Rafi. I saw that film in the OFFICERS CLUB at Bishrampur in 1964 .

The second was “ SHIKAR ” featuring the Villian Ajit, of the MONA-AUR-SONA, fame ,   as the Hero and the younger sister of Madam Jayalalitha as the heroine. That was at the Staff Open Cinema Ground at Bishrampur. The Third one was DOH DIL featuring Rajashree and Biswajit at the Officer Club at Bishrampur and the fourth one was the AAS KA PPANCHHI featuring Vyajantimala and Rajendra Kumar,  at the same venue at the same club at Bishrampur. The FIRST movie I saw was at the TALKIES ie the cinema hall was  at Ambikapur which is situated at a distance of TWENTY KILOMETRES from Bishrampur and the name of the film was “ DUS LAKH ” in 1966 featuring Babita and Sanjay.

When I was at the same talkies with my parents watching the film  AN EVENING AT PARIS, my parents took us away from the show when that song AASMAAN SE AAYA FARISHTA  was being played on the show ,  starring Shammi Kapoor  and Sharmila Tagore who  was potrayed in the bikini. The ticket rates were then priced at SIXTY NAYA PAISE for the RESERVED CLASS . 

Mr Shah Rukh Khan when I say about you that YOU   ARE NOT A KING OF ACTING AT ALL let me say you that you saw your FIRST movie at the time in 1975 and the name of that film was “ JOSHILA ”  As for me from 1964 to about 1975 by the time you saw your FIRST movie,  I had finished watching about ONE-HUNDRED movies which also included RAM-AUR-SHYAM and MADHUMATI. You are not even 0.00000000000000001% of Dilip Kumar in acting even after spending TWENTY EIGHT years in the film industry doing all BULL – SHIT in terms of  acting.

F ) >. MY / OUR “FIRST” TASTE OF COCA-COLA

I had heard the name by reading the TIMES-OF-INDIA  the MOST SOLD NEWSPAPER in English then and perhaps the BEST then at India. As a boy of only 14 then I had read that. The further investigation revealed that the SOUTHERN TRAIN that plied between Madras to Delhi at that time cutting through Ghoradongri . The distance beween Ghoradobgri to pathakhera was about 24 kilometres.

One fine day we FIVE friend  decided to taste the drink. The train would stop at Ghoradongri for about two minutes. We five friend Myself, Roshan Ansari, Buddhram, Gopal who was the son of a BARBER and Ghanshyam whose Father was a PANERI, ie, the one who sells PAAN we took our cycles, and in the pretext of playing a football match against Ghoradongri Railway team left our house very early in the morning. We reached the spot at the Railway station .When the train stopped we had five small TEA GLASS which was the property of that tea seller who would sell the tea at the Station .

When the train stopped for boarding the passenger we were at the right spot to pay Rs 1-50 for two bottles and divided the drink amongst FIVE of us to sip that  THAT WAS THE TIME WE HAD TASTED THIS SOFT DRINK  That TASTE still lingers. The entire AMOUNT was paid by me. .Thereafter we cycled back to our place. These boys’ were the kind of a FRIEND that I played football with at the Pathakhera Football Ground . Ironically there was NOBODY of my age in the Officers Colony and I had to mingle with them to play the games and pass off my time whenever I came to my home at Pathakhera from my hostel at Jabalpur. THOSE WERE THE DAYS. When the Coke was FIRST launched it was priced at 0.35 paise per bottle .Then it’s price went up to 0.45 paise per bottle. In 1973 it was priced at 0.75 paise per bottle. That was the time I drank that soft drink travelling that far from our place at Pathkhera as Coca Cola was Not there in the local COLLIERY HAAT at Pathakhera.

G ) > The FIRST time I wore a FULL PANT It was in December 1973 that I first wore a full pant. During those period our parents purposely to save money on the clothings would make us to wear the HALF-PANTS.

In 1973 during the month of December my Father felt that I should be wearing the full pant. He ordered TWO set of School Uniform Full pants and ONE for the casual wear as I had to leave for Hostel. At the hostel when I wore the SCHOOL UNIFORM FULL PANT I started wearing the full pant and Januray 1974 was the time when I wore the FULL PANTS for the first time. During our times, the boys till class Xth wore the HALF PANTS, It was only some  students who wore the full pants else most of the students wore the half pants. However the class XI th boys wore the FULL PANTS irrespective of their height and the size.

H ) > The FIRST time I wore the UNDERGARMENT

It was during December 1974 when my Father purchased the SET of VIP undergarment wgen he came to see off after the interval ie the vacation which had ended during December at Jabalpur. He purchased a pair of undergarment for me which I stated wearing it. About 90% of the students of our school then till class Xth did not and would not wear the undergarment during that time as the PARENTS would save the money as the salary was too low during those period and to spend on three to four childrens and maintaining them with ONE earning in the family was NOT a joke.

I did not know  how to wear it lest I asked a Senior at the hostel and he guided me and told me HOW TO WEAR IT. Most of the students who wore the UNDERGARMENTS for the FIRST TIME,  during those days REALLY did not know HOW TO WEAR THAT AND PUT IT UNDER THE  UNDERGARMENT tucking it UNDER the pant . Many who wore it for the FIRST time, would TUCK their SHIRTS beneath the UNDERGARMENT and over that they would wear the full pants.That would look so SHABBY. Some of the Seniors would TEACH us how to wear that.  That and those were the times.

I ) > My FIRST time ALONE travelling by Train

That happened in 1973 during the month of April.The school final exams were over . Whatever was saved in terms of the pocket money which was about Rupee Twenty Five during that time, I packed off my entire belongings and with Arjun Venukrishna, Rudra Mukherjee we went off to Deepak’s place who was staying with his ubcle at the place at Wright Town near Hotel Pagoda at Jabalpur.

We saw TWO films on that night , HEERA-PANNA featuring Dev Anand and Rakhee as well as Zeentl Aman at the Vijay Cinema and BADLA featuring Shatrughan Sinha and Mousumi Chatterjee at the Jyoti Cinema . The night at Deepak’s Uncle place we had our luch at his place the next day and off we started for the Railway Station . I boarded the train at about Five in the evening for Itarsi and landed at Itarsi. Landing at the Railway platform I asked a colloie that I wanted to get down at Ghoradongri.He said me that I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTER TO BUY THE TICKET OF SOUTHERN ie the SOUTHERN TRAIN and it would reach the platform at about 4.30 AM in the early morning. Deepak Gupta came to see us OFF. This same DEEPAK GUPTA is the CHIEF-OF-CHIEF-OF-ALL-THE-VICE PRESIDENT of the RELIANCE at Jamnagar He completed his BE ( Mechanical) from  Government Enginnering College at Bilaspur, and from Jabalpur from CCBHSS and HE WAS and HE IS a FRIEND and a CLASSMATE and a BATCHMATE of ME from thyat school at Jabalpur

Keeping the baggages with the COOLIES at the platform, along with a COOLIE of that group I walked all along to the Railway counter and purchased my ticket. That Railway porter put me to a BOGIE a THIRD CLASS and waived me off.He took his charge a sum of RUPEE ONE as his MEHHATNAMA as we could say it . I reached Ghoradongri from there after about TWO hours travelling by the same train .Getting down at Ghoradongri got hold of a TRUCK which was going to Pathakhera to load the COALS.That truck driver charged Rs 2=00 from me to drop me at the place which was only 50 metres from my house at Pathakhera. That was the FIRST time I was TRAVELLING ALONE as a SCHOOL KID aged FOURTEEN years , keeping all my baggage with the UNKNOWN porters under their disposal  at the Itarsi Railway platform , going to buy the tickets from that counter and again getting all my baggages from them CORRECTLY for ONE OF THEM to put me in a THIRD CLASS BOGIE to travel further,

THAT WAS THE KIND OF SYMPATHY AND EMPATHY THAT PREVAILED DURING THOSE TIME . Can anybody imagine such a KIND of gesture in this age.

During our times we NEVER had the WINDOW railing at the coaches of the trains and NEVER were the HOOKS attached then under the seat of our coaches to tie our belongings , We would travel that way and in that manner. NO BODY WOULS TOUCH OUR BAGGAGES Can WE EXPECT THIS AT THIS AGE ?

J ) > First Time I Alone Went To A Hotel For My Lunch And The Money paid.

It was January 1^st 1972. My Father then was TRANSFERRED to pathakhera Colliery from Duman Hills Colliery. He was transferred during June 1971 . I for a SHORT period of time for a School holiday ie the SCHOOL BREAK travelled all the place from Bishrampur Colliery to West Chirimiri Colliery .After SEVEN days I was to travel back to the school.

I was handed a sum of Rupees seven by my Jethima to travel back to the school. With others as many as three namely Harinder Deep Singh, Sukhbir Singh and Somchandra who were studying at the CARMEL CONVENT   and who were escorted by their parents to travel back to the school boarding/hostel, I too followed them for my journey back to school.

We reached Bishrampur at about TWO in the afternoon. Obviously the FIRST was the LUNCH in a HOTEL at Bishrampur and then STRAIGHT from there to the Hostel.

We went to HOTEL MADRAS at the Bazaar. The owner’s daughter Geeta was the student of Carmel Convent and hence we chose that Hotel for lunch. It was FREE DAL , ONE-FULL-BOWL, FREE ONIONS , FREE GREEN CHILLIES , TEN naya Paisa for or per chappatis that shaped a FULL TAWA and Rs TWO per plate FULL for a plate of AALOO- GOBHI to tuck it with Chappati.The FULL AMOUNT was  “ Rs TWO and FIFTY PAISE ” for that SCUMPTIOUS meal. THOSE WERE THE DAYS 

 K ) . My “FIRST” life taking illness-:

It happened when I was only five years of age in 1964. A Colliery Assistant Manager at Kumbda Colliery once saw me and said me that the POLICE are catching the one’s who are black in colour and putting them in the jail for being black. I’m not very dark in complexion but then I’m not at all fair in colour. That and those words really jerked me like anything. The word “ POLICE ” would bring “ DEATH ” to anybody during that age, and in those days,  and I was so heavily shaken and taken by fright. I immediately ran to my house and believing him say that and also believing that by regularly taking the bath applying soap again and again, to the body, the black/dark complexion will go away, I started taking showers af ter showers and bath after bath for the entire day.

It was nail biting chill and obviously I caught a heavy temperature. The situation became such that I had to be rushed to the hospital. The Colliery Doctor Mr Jagannath Sarkar just plainly told my parents- I CAN ONLY TRY-THE REST IS UPTO THE GOD. It was a LIFE-SNATCHING-PNEUMONIA that had engulfed me. Luckily I came out of the same. When thereafter asked by my family member and the Doctor I narrated the entire story. When that gentleman who told me all these, was asked he just replied that he was just PULLING my leg for the heck and nothing else. That was the FIRST time I was admiited to the hospital. That was in 1964 and I luckily could escape the wrath of the death.

Thereafter in 1974 during the end of December I caught Typhoid , in 1978 I was down with a LIVER-SPLEEN problem and in 2018 I had to be operated for the PILES- FISSURE problems. Those were the disease I have encountered in my life so far.

 L ) . Once Again the same Assistant Colliery Manager : I decided from then on “NEVER” to obey anybody

The same Assistant Colliery Manager who forced me and took me to the bed of pneumonia and almost to the bed of the death, once again played a prank on me.  He saw me my nose was flowing with water. That was at the Kumda Playground. He approached me saying that- the DEVILS have caught me. He continued saying that-  DO YOU KNOW WHY YOUR NOSE KEEPS ON FOWING, IT IS BECAUSE THE DEVILS HAVE CAUGHT YOU. In your school and in your home, where and whenever you go to the toilet the devils, ie , the BHOOT catch you and you do not know .

These BHOOTS ie the devils are very bad by nature. They catch the people to SUCK their blood,It also hashappened with me. What I have done is  I HAVE COMPLETELY STOPPED GOING TO THE TOILETS AND YOU ALSO DO THAT.  He continued furher saying that-  You have to be very strong to fight these devils. So you eat as much as possible so that you have the strength to fight these devils but STOP going to the toilets as you will be killed by the devils. Believing him I stopped going to the toilet from that days and would eat as much as possible. For about three days neither did I go to the toilet at the school or to the toilet of our house.

The happening that had to happen had happened. In the class room one day the “ PISS ” came out like the water gushes out of the dam when the floodgates are opened, and the SHIT followed it thereafter. I was asked to leave the classroom which I did. During the afternoon the Colliery Jeep came to take us to home and I reached home that way crying as the others , the kids who were in the school started making a LAUGH of me. I reached my home and obviously my mother cleaned me.

When asked about the incident I narrated the entire story to my parents. My Father was very vocal against that Colliery Manager who was a Bengali. He again replied that I ONLY PLAY THE TRAUNTS WITH YOUR SON BECAUSE HE LOOKS VERY CHUBBY AND IS FULL OF INNOCENSE BUT FROM TODAY ONWARD I WILL NEVER DO IT ANYMORE

 FROM THAT DAY TILL THIS DAY- I HAVE NEVER BEILEVED ANYBODY AND HAVE ALWAYS DONE WHAT MY CONSCIENECE HAS TOLD ME TO DO.

I  NEVER AND NEVER OBEY ANYBODY FOR ANYTHING EVEN TILL THIS DATE OF MY LIFE . Whatever LOSSES that I have to bear I would BEAR that BUT I DO NOT TAKE ANY GUIDANCE AND ORDERS OR DIRECTIONS FROM ANYBODY. This I follow till date in my life.

 M  ) > ROMANCE :: IF YOU BELIEVE IN THESE “ROMANCEWALLAS” YOU WILL BE THROWN OUT OF THE SCHOOL

The School Hostel – “ THE GARDINER DARLING HOSTEL ”  had about 150 students as the boarders/hosteliers. There were many a type of students and some were very “ DEVLISH ” in nature, and one was Surinder Vikram Singh . He had a habit. He would read a lot of magazine which would contain the cinema’s and it’s story.

We had a FULL-PREFECT by the name of Ashok Jain. Even being a Junior, Surinder whom the entire Hostel would call him “ CANTER ” as his style of runs would be  like the HORSE-CANTER, would PULL Ashok Jain who was my HOUSE-MASTER and later went on to become the School Captain . This man Surinder the CANTER one fine day spread a news that- ASHOK GETS A FIRST DIVISION ALWAYS BECAUSE HE IS IN ROMANCE WITH A GIRL OF A GIRLS SCHOOL .

This word ROMANCE caught many of us UNAWARE and by the HOOK. It was a WORD which we were UNAWARE of . One fine day I went to Mr Canter to ask – what is ROMANCE and how is it connected with the studies.

Mr Canter explained me was- WHILE STUDYING YOU HAVE TO GET IMMERSED IN YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT A GIRL AND THAT WILL HELP YOU TO MEMORISE EVERYTHING SO DEEP AND HARD THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS GET A FIRST DIVISION LIKE ASHOK JAIN SCORES.

Listenning to him I said- Memorising can happen without immersing ourself to anybody. Why is Ashok doing that. Listenning to me he said- GO AND ASK ASHOK. When h directed me to Ashok and when I asked him all about it, Ashok Jain just told me- :

Till you remain in this school and HOSTEL NEVER believe anybody for anything and keep on walking STRAIGHT for everything.That will keep you from many difficulties everywhere, not only in this school or hostel. If you have to listen to the likes of Mr Canter- YOU WILL BE CANTERING ALL ALONG JABALPUR AS THE SCHOOL HEADMASTER WILL THROW YOU OUT OF THE SCHOOL AND THE HOSTEL and you will NEVER be able to get admission in any other School of Jabalpur ONCE you are thrown out of this school.

From that day to this day of my life- I HAVE ALWAYS WALKED STRAIGHT.

 N ) > “ DUS-PAISE-MEI-AA-GALEY- LUG- JAA" 

There was a movie named AA GALEY LUG JAA featuring Sharmila Tagore, Shashi Kapoor and Shatrughan Sinha. The film has songs which were simply-simply MAJESTIC sung by Kishoreda. We were watching the movie along with all the boarders at the school.Once in about 15 days in the hostel we would  be taken to watch a movie, either English or Hindi and this was the movie that we were watching.

After the screening of the film was over and when we started to stand in a queue to move back to the hostel, there was ONE who came running to us and started saying- “ DUS-PAISE-MEI-“ DUS-PAISE-ME- AA-GALEY- LUG- JAA “

WE WERE SHOCKED AND TAKEN ABACK.  When I asked him what did he mean- he said that the leaflet of the song which this movie had is being sold by him for TEN-NAYA-PAISE and those interested to buy the leaflet can buy it from him. That again became a JOKE that was circulated in the school and this joke was the JOKE amongst all the joke till we were at the school.

However coming back to the subject I said him why can’t you use proper words to explain the meaning clearly rather than using these words “ DUS-PAISE-MEI  - AA-GALEY- LUG- JAA “ .

He and his explanation was simple and this is what it was-  LUCKY THAT YOU ARE STUDYING IN A SCHOOL LIKE THE CCBHSS . WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEND OUR CHILDRENS IN THIS KIND OF A SCHOOL. ONCE YOU GET MARRIED AND RAISE THREE CHILDRENS THAT I POSSESS, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE MEANING AND THE VALUE OF “ DUS-PAISE-MEI - -AA-GALEY- LUG- JAA “ Till then you immerse yourself in studies.
O ) > One Of My Most Memorable Moment-:

It was the cricket match which was going between the Board President XI and the visiting MCC under Keith Flecther at Nagpur at the Limji Phiroze pavilion cricket ground . That was th time that I was the Sports Reporter for the “ HITAVADA ” , Nagpur

The East Zone selector of the BCCI then, Mr Dattu Phadkar was there to witness the match.His job was to select ONE pure and a useful batsman for the Test match against England and ONE-ALL-ROUNDER along with a batsman who could make it to the indian team  for theWorld Cup 1983.

Meeting him and asking him certain important tales about his cricketing career and his life he narrated many a things and facts about the Australian tour by India of the 1947-48 and he told us many a things about Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and above all Don Bradman.

In just a formal way he asked me- WHO DO YOU THINK THAT HE SHOULD MAKE IT TO THE INDIAN TEAM AS A PURE BATSMAN IN THE NEXT TEST AND WHO DO YOU THINK SUPPOSE IF YOU WERE THE SELECTOR WOULD YOU HAVE SELECTED AN ALL ROUNDER AS A MEDIUM PACER AND A PURE BATSMAN FOR THE 1983 WORLD CUP

 Without wasting any moment I said him WITH THE HELMET ON- “BRIJESH PATEL” against England in the Test and Brijesh Patel and Roger Binny as the Allrounder for the England for the 1983 World Cup.

He listened to me saying that – “ Brijesh is down with a HEART problem and operation so he is ruled out and Roger and Yashpal are of NO USE  and ,  cannot be anything and be of  any use to India at England ” .

Listening to him I said – “ with due honour and RESPECT to you as a cricketer who had such a brilliant career as a Test player and a very wise man  that you are let me tell you Roger Binny will end up within the first two amongst the bowler in the World Cup,  in terms of taking the wickets in the World Cup 1983 . He will use the English weather most deligently and with TREMENDOUS effect . If Brijesh is not there as you say I would put in YASHPAL SHARMA as his BRILLIANT FIELDING  , tremendous running between the wickets while batting and overall his GUTS to take on the adversities with a HEART of the Lion will see India enjoying every advantage of his cricketing skill. You may not like anybody individually as they pose a BAD FACE but as cricketers these two are the one’s who would make the things count and make all the difference.

As for choosing Ghavri as a bowler who was preferred by Polly Umrigar, Dattu Phadkar fought tooth and nail against Polly Umrigar to put Roger in the team as the all-rounder for the World Cup 1983,  and instead of choosing  Bhaskar Pillai for the Test against England he put Yashpal Sharma in the team against England .Yashpal’s 130 against England and from there to the World Cup and his 287 runs in the World Cup becoming the MOST RUNS AGGREGATE for India in the World Cup in 1983 and Binny’s 18 wickets becoming the highest wicket taker are now the FOLKLORE of Indian cricket that relates to the World Cup 1983 . Well that was that and ............... 

From those days when I was FOURTEEN to this age when I have crossed SIXTY I have seen India changing .

“ NO- THOSE DAYS WOULD NOT COME > No doubt we say and as I say individually -:
Be it those days of Bishrampur Colliery of Kumbda, or Duman Hill, be it the COOLIES at Itarsi, be it the 5 grams, 10 grams, 20 grams, 50 grams of weight, be it the FIVE naya paise, the TEN naya paisa, the TWENT naya paisa or the TWENTY-FIVE naya paisa, be it the schools or the hostels or the Colleges that I was in, THOSE MATES at the school and the Colleges, or be it the one's like  DUS-PAISE-MAI-AA-GALY-LUG-JAA NEVER, NEVER and NEVER would I ever FORGET them.
In this age YOU WILL NEVER GET THAT KIND OF  DUS PAISA or that kind of AA GALAY LUG JAA . That is for sure and guaranteed.
No doubt that song holds such a GREAT importance and VALUES for me -: 

JANAY KAHAN GAYE WHO DIN, KEHTAY THHEY JINKAY  YAAD MEI , NAJREIN TUM HI SAY MILAYENGAY

JANAY KAHIN BHI TUM RAHO, TUMKOH TOH CHHAHENGEY UMBRA BHAR,

TUMKO NAA “ BHOOL ”  PAYENGAY  “  ………….. NEVER would I be able to forhet those.... 

From those GOLDEN days ever since it has passed  to this time it is….. now as if we feel ............

“ HAR EK ROOH GHAAYAL , HUR EK JAAN PYASI , NIGHAHON MAI HAI ULJHAN

DILO MAI UDAASI “ ……..

The JOKERS have made the LIFE of many and almost, MOST  even BAD than the JOKER. Joker is NOT a BAD profession but these INDIAN JOKERS seated at the THRONE of NEW DELHI has made it and made every common  man WORST than the JOKER .That is it 

That sums the “ CHANGE ” that the “ WORLD ” now is and has changed………..  and that is how I did enjoy this world uptil now lest it has completely CHANGED...... 
Well at last- " MY SIXTY YEARS OF LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME "NOT" TO EXPECT ANYTHING FROM ANYBODY........ "  
That is it

Regards

Pic

Shyamal Bhattacharjee

Mr Shyamal Bhattacharjee, the author was born at West Chirimiri Colliery at District Surguja, Chattisgarh on July 6th 1959 He received his early education at Carmel Convent School Bishrampur and later at Christ Church Boys' Higher Secondary School at Jabalpur. He later joined Hislop College at Nagpur and completed his graduation in Science and he also added a degree in    B A thereafter. He joined the HITAVADA, a leading dailies of Central India at Nagpur as a      Sub-Editor ( Sports ) but gave up to complete his MBA in 1984 He thereafter added a Diploma In Export Management. He has authored THREE books namely Notable Quotes and Noble Thought published by Pustak Mahal in 2001 Indian Cricket : Faces That Changed It  published by Manas Publications in 2009 and Essential Of Office Management published by NBCA, Kolkatta  in 2012. He has a experience of about 35 years in Marketing 

Signature Of Shyamal Bhattacharjee